It’s been a while since fans have seen Dwayne Johnson as ‘The Final Boss’ on WWE television, as he hasn’t appeared since the Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event back in March. That event featured one of the most memorable moments in company history, with John Cena turning heel in shocking fashion after Cody Rhodes turned down the offer to ‘sell his soul’ to The Rock.
Cena would go on to defeat Rhodes for a record-setting 17th World title win at WrestleMania 41. Surprisingly, it was Travis Scott, and not The Rock, who assisted Cena in his victory. The question is, will ‘The Final Boss’ be back in WWE?
In a recent interview on ALL THE SMOKE, Rhodes opened up on The Rock’s WWE return earlier this year and hinted at what could be next for his new persona.
“He came back to a very tumultuous WWE, a year or so ago, and decided, nope, I’m not gonna deal with that,” Rhodes said. “I’m instead gonna create a new character even though I’m already one of the greatest characters ever, that being The Final Boss… We’ve just scratched the surface on The Final Boss. There’s something incredibly special there, so The Rock is on my Mount Rushmore.”
Rhodes and The Rock have been connected in WWE storylines since the latter became a key figure in the build to WrestleMania 40 last year. The Rock teamed with Roman Reigns to defeat Rhodes and Seth Rollins on WrestleMania 40 Night 1, with Rock pinning Rhodes in the match.
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There was plenty of online backlash to the lack of follow-up with ‘The Final Boss’ after Cena’s heel turn at Elimination Chamber. If WWE has plans to make up for that in the future, it would likely tie in his long-term history with Rhodes, with many fans still pondering the idea of Rhodes eventually turning his back on the WWE fans the same way Cena did. There are also potential dream matches still out there for The Rock, including with Roman Reigns.
But Johnson is now 53 years old and has wrestled just once in almost a decade. His Hollywood schedule prevents him from being a regular on WWE programming, so fans should keep their expectations in check regarding his on-screen role.
It would seem that his eventual WWE return will focus more on ‘The Final Boss’ outside the ring rather than inside the ring. And if it serves as the catalyst for Rhodes’ own heel turn, it could be an interesting direction for the current Undisputed WWE Champion.
While Johnson remains a member of the TKO Board of Directors, his focus has shifted significantly to his film career. He recently underwent a dramatic physical transformation and weight loss for his role in the critically acclaimed A24 film, ‘The Smashing Machine’.
The film, based on the life of MMA fighter Mark Kerr, received a lengthy standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. This pursuit of more “prestige projects” has fueled speculation that his in-ring career may be over, with his future belonging to film rather than wrestling.
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